By Lachlan Onions
MIL LEL 10/33 v WEST GAMBIER 8/199
WEST Gambier was back to its ruthless-best on Saturday for Day 1 of its Barber Shield clash against Mil Lel as it bowled the visitors out for just 33 runs.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, the day could not have started any worse for Mil Lel as William Rowland was bowled by Bray Stephenson off the very first ball of the game.
Stephenson struck again in the third over to leave the away side in all sorts of trouble at 2/6.
Nick Walters and Archer Virtanen fought hard to try and survive the onslaught as the Roos’ bowling line-up continued to ask questions of Mil Lel’s batters with the new ball.
However, despite the pair’s best efforts, Virtanen was caught behind off Kyal Chapman in the eighth over to make it 3/12.
Logan Gibbs failed to trouble the scorers but hung in six overs before he was dismissed by Sam Willis to make it 4/27 and it was all downhill from there.
Mil Lel’s middle-order and tail were ripped through as West Gambier claimed the final seven wickets for the loss of just a mere six runs.
The innings reached a climatic finale as the Roos took the final four wickets off just six balls and conceded no runs in that time.
In what proved to be a forgetful day with the bat for Mil Lel, there were four players who departed for a duck, while Walters was the top-scorer with 18 runs off 64 balls.
Willis proved to be the pick of the bowlers with 4/6 off five overs, while Trent Badman ended with figures of 3/3, Stephenson 2/14 and Chapman 1/8.
After the hosts bowled the visitors out inside 21 overs, they went out to bat in search of a potential outright win.
Opener Nuwan Gunawardana failed to continue his strong form this season and was dismissed by Walters for just 14 runs to make it 1/22.
Badman and Jake Blackwell formed a 27-run stand but were dismissed in consecutive overs and Mil Lel’s bowlers had their tails up with two key scalps in the blink of an eye.
Shortly after, Willis was bowled by Miller for a duck and at 4/51, there was still a chance for the visitors to come away with a result from the game.
However, Sam Coxon and Stephenson thwarted their opponent’s momentum and combined for a 57-run fifth-wicket stand before the former departed for 11.
The runs continued to flow for West as a 51-run partnership followed before Stephenson was dismissed by Rowland for 88 runs off just 93 balls.
The Roos lost two more wickets before the close of play including Jack Geddes, who fell to Shannon Megaw off the final over of the day.
West Gambier made it through to stumps at 8/199 with a 166-run lead.
